Poland Orders New Minesweepers, Patrol Vessel

Oct. 2, 2013 - 05:47PM
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WARSAW — The Polish Defense Ministry has placed an order to build three new mine countermeasure ships and complete one long-stalled patrol vessel.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who was present at the signing of the two contracts, said the procurements contribute to safeguarding the future of the Polish Navy. Tusk also said that, with the latest contracts, his government aims to stimulate the country’s shipbuilding industry, which has been struggling to stay afloat over the past years.

“The Polish Navy will receive [ships] that it will not have to be ashamed of ... and also Polish shipbuilders and cooperating shipyards will preserve their jobs,” Tusk told local news agency PAP.

The vessels will be jointly built by a Polish consortium led by the Naval Shipyard in Gdynia and Remontowa Shipbuilding in Gdansk. Work on the patrol vessel, the Slazak, was started in 2001 but construction was still not complete a decade later. Initially, the ship was designed as a corvette. The new contract will allow the Polish shipyards to complete the project.

Polish Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said the vessels are scheduled to be completed in 2016. The amount of the deals was not disclosed by the ministry.